When your dreams come true in England

Ever since I was a young Gordy, I’ve wanted to go to England. I love Narnia, am a big fan of the queen (J.K. Rowling currently), and have spoken the English language almost fluently for most of my life.

And I’m not the only one who loves England. I’ve talked to lots of others who would love to skip rocks on the other side of the pond.

So what’s it like to be in England? What is there 2 doo? WHAT WAS IT LIKE TO MAKE YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE? Well, I’m about to let you kno.

My first three nights, I stayed on the beautiful London Temple apartments (or FLATS lol). The temple is 30 miles (or KILOMETERS lol) from London proper, but it’s still a pretty rural area.

My face and the London temple!

View of the London Temple from a footpath.

I stayed here Saturday and Sunday and literally just walked around looking at how old, rural, and green (LUSH) everything is. I visited the nearby villages and pubs within walking distance of the temple.

The oldest buildings in East Grinstead, a village close to the temple.

England has a super nifty thing called “footpaths.” They’re just public trails that go through forests and fields, across pub decks and people’s yards. Even though people have lived on this small island for thousands of years, the government has gone to great lengths to preserve its natural beauty, so there’s plenty of trees and greenery to love. It’s like being in a Beatrix Potter story. Just look for a “footpath” sign and follow.

A cool thing I saw on a footpath!

I went to London on Monday. I don’t love big cities, so I only stopped by for a day visit. I rode into Victoria Station at noon-ish and walked to King’s Cross Station by the end of the day. Walking is the absolute best way to see EVERYTHING — touristy and otherwise. Along the way, I saw Westminster Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Trafalgar Square, the National Gallery, ate at an Indian restaurant, and went to Platform 9 3/4.

Westminster Cathedral

Westminster Abbey lol

It so big.

Me and one of them Trafalgar Square lions.

Supper at Emmaus by Caravaggio in the National Gallery (J.K. Rowling’s fave painting).

Indian food! It was very good.

It’s straight magic, promise.

From King’s Cross, I took the Tube to Paddington Station, then rode a train up to Oxford to visit C.S. Lewis’s home.

Oxford was one of the most amazing parts of my trip. The university is almost literally Hogwarts. It’s hundreds of years old, but it’s still going strong and its ancient buildings are still in use.

A library at Oxford University.

Just like Hogwarts.

Literal Hogwarts.

C.S. Lewis’s home was great. I toured it and learned a lot about his life. A nature reserve dedicated to Lewis is right next to his home. These woods are said to be inspiration for Narnia. I definitely uglycried walking through them as I thought, “I’M IN NARNIA!!!”

Me in front of C.S. Lewis’s home.

C.S. Lewis Nature Reserve.

I also visited the Eagle and Child, the pub where Lewis used to bash around story and philosophical ideas with his mates, including J.R.R. Tolkien.

A great place to get drunk. jkjkjkjkjkjk!!!

In general, Oxford is such a cool city. It’s very old and there’s just such a cool feeling there.

England was everything I’d dreamed it would be and more. It was like stepping into my favorite books and stories I had as a kid (and still have). It rained at least twice a day, my feet weren’t dry for a week, and I absolutely loved it. DREAMS COME FREAKING TRUE.